1968 Indianapolis 500

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Contents 1 Time Trials 2 Race Day 3 Qualification Chronology 4 Topics

[edit] Time Trials

1968 was the second and eventually the final year the controversial turbine cars were running in the 1968 race classic. In qualifications, Graham Hill the 1966 champion in the #70 STP Turbine is first to qualify, and sets a new qualifying record! Later, his STP turbine teammate joe Leonard in #60 wins the pole position with a speed of 171.559 MPH.

[edit] Race Day

At the drop of the green flag, Joe Leonard in the #60 STP Turbine leaps in the lead, with Bobby Unser in second and Roger McCluskey up to third at the end of lap 1. After only nine laps, Jim Hurtubise in the PepsiCo Frito-lay special has burned a piaton, and is out, finishing 30th. About this time, Bobby Unser is now hard after Leonard, and at the end of the main straightway he passes to take the lead. On lap 41, the caution flag flies for the first time when Al Unser loses a wheel and hits the first-turn wall, with Arnie Knepper and Gary Bettenhausen also involved. After 200 miles, A.J. Foyt is out with a blown engine and the defending champion's bid for his 4th Indy win is over for this year. After 110 laps, Graham Hill loses a wheel and smashes into the turn two wall, bringing out the second caution. On lap 127, Mel Kenyon and rookie Billy Vukovich tangle in turn four. Both are able to re-enter the race, but Johnny Rutherford, trying to slow down, is rear-ended by Jim Mcelreath. Mike Mosley also loses it in turn four trying to avoid the mess.

When Bobby Unser makes his last pit stop, his car is stuck in high gear. As he leaves his pit struggling to get to high speed, both Leonard and Ruby pass him. With only 16 laps to go, Joe Leonard still has the #60 turbine in first place, but on the backstretch, Carl Williams hits the wall, bringing out the final caution. After cleanup, the green comes out with 9 laps to go, and several cars between leader Leonard and second place Unser. but the turbine is slowing and coasting to a stop in turn one, with Bobby Unser now sweeping the lead. At this moment at the other end of the track, the STP Turbine team suffers a double whammy as #20 Art Pollard in the remaining turbine coasts to a stop with the same program as Leonard - a broken fuel pump drive. Unser drove the final 9 laps to win his first of eventually 3 Indianapolis 500 victories for Bobby Unser.

Results of the 1968 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Thursday, May 30, 1968.

Finish	Start	No	Name	Qual	Rank	Laps	Led	Status
1	3	3	Bobby Unser	169.507	3	200	127	Running
2	10	48	Dan Gurney	166.512	10	200	0	Running
3	17	15	Mel Kenyon	165.191	14	200	0	Running
4	20	42	Denis Hulme	164.189	19	200	0	Running
5	5	25	Lloyd Ruby	167.613	5	200	42	Running
6	26	59	Ronnie Duman	162.338	27	200	0	Running
7	23	98	Bill Vukovich II	163.510	23	198	0	Flagged
8	27	90	Mike Mosley	162.499	26	197	0	Flagged
9	31	94	Sammy Sessions	162.118	31	197	0	Flagged
10	25	6	Bobby Grim	162.866	25	196	0	Flagged
11	24	16	Bob Veith	163.495	24	196	0	Flagged
12	1	60	Joe Leonard	171.599	1	191	31	Fuel Shaft
13	11	20	Art Pollard	166.297	11	188	0	Fuel Shaft
14	13	82	Jim McElreath	165.327	13	179	0	Stalled
15	28	84	Carl Williams	162.323	28	163	0	Crash BS
16	18	10	Bud Tingelstad	164.444	17	158	0	Oil Pressure
17	12	54	Wally Dallenbach, Sr.	165.548	12	148	0	Engine
18	21	18	Johnny Rutherford	163.830	21	125	0	Crash T4
19	2	70	Graham Hill	171.208	2	110	0	Crash T2
20	8	1	A.J. Foyt	166.821	8	86	0	Rear End
21	19	45	Ronnie Bucknum	164.211	18	76	0	Fuel Leak
22	14	27	Jim Malloy	165.032	15	64	0	Rear End
23	15	78	Jerry Grant	164.782	16	50	0	Oil Leak
24	22	11	Gary Bettenhausen	163.562	22	43	0	Accident T1
25	32	21	Arnie Knepper	161.900	32	42	0	Accident T1
26	6	24	Al Unser	167.069	6	40	0	Crash T1
27	9	4	Gordon Johncock	166.775	9	37	0	Rear End
28	33	64	Larry Dickson	161.124	33	24	0	Piston
29	7	8	Roger McCluskey	166.976	7	16	0	Oil Filter
30	30	56	Jim Hurtubise	162.191	30	9	0	Piston
31	29	29	George Snider	162.264	29	9	0	Oil Leak
32	16	35	Jochen Rindt	164.144	20	5	0	Piston
33	4	2	Mario Andretti	167.691	4	2	0	Piston

[edit] Qualification Chronology

Att #	Date	Time	Qual day	Car #	Driver name	Laps	Qual time	Qual speed	Rank	Start	Comment
1	05-18	1	1	70	Graham Hill	4	—	171.208	2	2
2	05-18	2	1	25	Lloyd Ruby	4	—	167.613	5	5
3	05-18	3	1	8	Roger McCluskey	4	—	166.976	7	7
4	05-18	4	1	15	Mel Kenyon	2	—	—	—	—	Waved off
5	05-18	5	1	54	Wally Dallenbach	3	—	—	—	—	Waved off
6	05-18	6	1	3	Bobby Unser	4	—	169.507	3	3
7	05-18	7	1	4	Gordon Johncock	3	—	—	—	—	Waved off
8	05-18	8	1	1	A. J. Foyt	4	—	166.821	8	8
9	05-18	9	1	48	Dan Gurney	4	—	166.512	10	10
10	05-18	10	1	27	Jim Malloy	4	—	165.032	15	14
11	05-18	11	1	60	Joe Leonard	4	—	171.559	1	1
12	05-18	12	1	4	Gordon Johncock	4	—	166.775	9	9
13	05-18	13	1	82	Jim McElreath	4	—	165.512	13	13
14	05-18	14	1	24	Al Unser	4	—	167.069	6	6
15	05-18	15	1	2	Mario Andretti	4	—	167.691	4	4
16	05-18	16	1	54	Wally Dallenbach	4	—	165.548	12	12
17	05-18	17	1	56	Jim Hurtubise	1	—	—	—	—	Accident
18	05-18	18	1	78	Jerry Grant	4	—	164.782	16	15
19	05-18	19	1	20	Art Pollard	4	—	166.297	11	11
20	05-19	20	2	35	Jochen Rindt	4	—	164.144	20	16
21	05-19	21	2	42	Denis Hulme	3	—	—	—	—	Waved off
22	05-25	22	3	21	Arnie Knepper	1	—	—	—	—	Accident
23	05-25	23	3	15	Mel Kenyon	3	—	—	—	—	Waved off
24	05-25	24	3	62	Bruce Walkup	3	—	—	—	—
25	05-25	25	3	11	Gary Bettenhausen	4	—	163.562	22	22
26	05-25	26	3	18	Johnny Rutherford	4	—	163.830	21	21
27	05-25	27	3	45	Ronnie Bucknum	4	—	164.211	18	19	Disqualfied 5/25; Reinstated 5/27; Bumps #88
28	05-25	28	3	88	Bob Harkey	3	—	—	—	—	Waved off
29	05-25	29	3	36	Larry Dickson	3	—	—	—	—	Waved off
30	05-25	30	3	59	Ronnie Duman	4	—	162.338	27	26
31	05-25	31	3	98	Billy Vukovich II	4	—	163.510	23	23
32	05-25	32	3	26	Bobby Johns	3	—	—	—	—	Waved off
33	05-25	33	3	14	Bob Hurt	3	—	—	—	—	Waved off
34	05-25	34	3	16	Bob Veith	4	—	163.495	24	24
35	05-25	35	3	10	Bud Tingelstad	1	—	—	—	—	Pulled off
36	05-25	36	3	90	Mike Mosley	2	—	—	—	—	Waved off
37	05-25	37	3	6	Bobby Grim	4	—	162.866	25	25
38	05-25	38	3	84	Carl Williams	2	—	—	—	—	Waved off
39	05-25	39	3	26	Bobby Johns	3	—	—	—	—	Waved off
40	05-25	40	3	10	Bud Tingelstad	4	—	164.444	17	18
41	05-25	41	3	21	Arnie Knepper	3	—	—	—	—	Waved off
42	05-25	42	3	42	Denis Hulme	4	—	164.189	19	20
43	05-25	43	3	15	Mel Kenyon	4	—	165.191	14	17
44	05-25	44	3	84	Carl Williams	3	—	—	—	—	Waved off
45	05-25	45	3	36	Larry Dickson	3	—	—	—	—	Waved off
46	05-27	46	4	22	Bill Cheesbourg	4	—	157.274	—	—	Bumped by #21
47	05-27	47	4	77	Bill Puterbaugh	4	—	157.301	—	—	Bumped by #84
48	05-27	48	4	88	Bob Harkey	4	—	159.915	—	—	Bumped by #45 reinstatement
49	05-27	49	4	90	Mike Mosley	4	—	162.449	26	27
50	05-27	50	4	41	George Follmer	4	—	158.877	—	—	Bumped by #62
51	05-27	51	4	28	Rick Muther	2	—	—	—	—	Accident
52	05-27	52	4	94	Sam Sessions	4	—	162.118	31	31
53	05-27	53	4	31	Sonny Ates	4	—	158.221	—	—	Bumped by #29
54	05-27	54	4	36	Larry Dickson	4	—	159.652	—	—	Bumped by #56
55	05-27	55	4	21	Arnie Knepper	4	—	161.900	32	32	Bumps #22
56	05-27	56	4	84	Carl Williams	4	—	162.232	29	29	Bumps #77
57	05-27	57	4	29	George Snider	4	—	162.264	28	28	Bumps #31
58	05-27	58	4	62	Bruce Walkup	4	—	160.514	—	—	Bumps #41; Bumped by #64
59	05-27	59	4	56	Jim Hurtubise	4	—	162.191	30	30	Bumps #36
60	05-27	60	4	32	Al Miller II	4	—	157.109	—	—	Too slow
61	05-27	61	4	71	Bob Harkey	4	—	156.257	—	—	Too slow
62	05-27	62	4	64	Larry Dickson	4	—	161.124	33	33	Bumps #88
63	05-27	63	4	76	Jerry Titus	4	—	154.540	—	—	Too slow

[edit] Topics

• Jim Hurtubise became the last driver to qualify the race with a front engine roadster.
• Much of the film of the race was used in the movie Winning starring Paul Newman.

1967 Indianapolis 500 A.J. Foyt	1968 Indianapolis 500 Bobby Unser	1969 Indianapolis 500 Mario Andretti

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